I didn’t play any role in Memogate: Haqqani

Islamabad: Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, on Monday denied playing any role in the Memogate scandal that has shaken the country.

Appearing before the judicial commission probing the memo scandal, Haqqani said he did not play any role in either the drafting of or dispatching of the memo.

According to the Dawn, Haqqani, in his preliminary statement before the commission, said he was at present living in Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s official residence.

Earlier in the day, Haqqani’s lawyer Zahid Hussain Bukhari said that his client would escape punishment even if the ongoing Memogate probe establishes a link between him and the memo.

“But I say even if the link is proved, there is still no crime in it. We will then have to ask Mr Shahbaz Sharif and Mr Nawaz Sharif as to what did they say when Gen Musharraf was toppling the PML-N government,” The Dawn quoted Bukhari, as saying.

In the meantime, the memo commission today directed Pakistan`s attorney general to issue visa to Pakistani American businessman Mansoor Ijaz besides ensuring his security to enable him to arrive in the country.

Ijaz claims to have handed over a memo to the then US military chief General Mike Mullen at the behest of the then Pakistan ambassador to US Husain Haqqani and the government to avert a likely military coup which President Asif Ali Zardari feared following Osama bin Laden`s May 02 killing at Abbottabad near Islamabad.

The memo commission has summoned Zardari, Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence Ahmed Shuja Pasha, and Husain Haqqani, among others, for its hearing today.

On the other hand, Kayani informed the commission in writing of his unavailability to appear before it because he was on an official visit to China.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Nawaz Sharif and Haqqani arrived at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) this morning to appear before the commission.